


Stay with me (When you’re gone I can’t tell if my hearts even beating)

by toxicoxytocin



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-11 19:31:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21454081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toxicoxytocin/pseuds/toxicoxytocin
Summary: Josie didn’t read the letter on the night of Miss Mystic Falls and Penelope decides to stay one more day.
Relationships: Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Kudos: 110





	Stay with me (When you’re gone I can’t tell if my hearts even beating)

**Author's Note:**

> previous title: don’t cry (for the stars tell me all i need to know)

Josie awoke to the sound of light knocking on her window. She looked at the digital clock on her bedside table before closing her eyes and trying to go back to sleep. 

The knocking won’t stop.

With annoyance, Josie got out of her bed and opened her blinds to her window to see a smiling Penelope, sitting in the tree outside of her room. She couldn’t help but smile at the girl before opening the window. “Pen, why are you at my window at,” She stopped in the middle of her sentence to lean back and look at her clock, “1 a.m?” The girl in question just leaned her head into the window with a playful smile on her face, causing Josie to step back. “For an adventure, of course.” 

The taller girl looked slightly amused at this, running her fingers through her hair and saying nothing waiting for the girl to continue. Penelope rolled her eyes and spoke up, “The stars are out and I want to take a walk with a pretty girl. But Hope was busy so I’m here.” Josie gave off a fake smile before beginning to close the window, stopping when Penelope’s hand shot out to catch the window sill. 

“Oh come on you know I’m joking, now get out here before you sister realizes I’m here.” Josie grabbed smiling girl’s hand, letting her help her out of the window and start on their so called ‘adventure.’

When Josie was on solid ground, she finally got a good look at Penelope. Sadness washed over her as she reached up to touch Penelope’s face, lightly running her fingers over the dark circles under her eyes. “You’re eyes..” 

Penelope just smiled before speaking in a joking manner. “Pretty isn’t?” The shorter girl reached up and held Josie’s hand that was still ghosting over her tired eyes. Josie’s face softened at this. “You’re not sleeping, Pen.” She sighed as she pressed her fingers down gently on the bags under her eye causing to Penelope to wince and pull Josie’s hand from her face. “I am fine, trust me.”

“Pen if you’re not sleeping because of-“ Josie was cut short by Penelope interrupting her. “Shh do you hear that? The stars are telling me something.” Penelope said with a bright smile, causing the taller girl to stop short of her worrying and smile softly. “Oh yeah, what are they saying?” Penelope took their hands and laced them together before starting to walk down the sidewalk.

“They are saying, Penelope, tell Josette to stop worrying about you because you can handle yourself just fine.” Josie laughed softly before wrapping her arm around Penelope, refusing to let go of her hand. “I hear the stars too, they say I can worry about my girlfriend all I want.” This made Penelope stop dead in her tracks before looking at the brunette with a knowing smile. “Oh so I’m your girlfriend again?” 

“That’s not what I meant-“ The taller girl started to pull her arm away only for the other to hold her hand tighter. “What did you mean, Josie?” Josie was taken aback by the softness in her voice, almost if she was afraid of the answer. “I think I finally understand what you mean when you say I’ve fallen to far down the codependency rabbit whole. I need to start standing up for myself and going after what I want And... right now I want you, Penelope.” 

Penelope just looks at her with a solemn smile, her eyes tracing over every detail of Josie’s face trying to remember this moment. Josie’s smile wavered at this, hating the feeling that look was giving her. “I hate when you look at me like that.” The shorter girl unwrapped Josie’s arm from around her, to face her fully. “Like what, JoJo?” She asked in the same soft voice as earlier causing Josie to realize the gravity of this situation, even if she didn’t fully understand what was happening. “Like you’re saying goodbye..”

Penelope let out a watery chuckle at this, feeling Josie wipe away tears she didn’t even know were falling. She stood on her tiptoes before leaving a lingering kiss on Josie’s forehead. 

“Pen..”

Penelope just shook her head before cupping the taller girls cheeks, smiling sadly at Josie’s concerned face. “I love you, JoJo. I love you with all my obnoxious, selfish, evil heart. Please don’t forget that.” Josie went to say something, but Penelope knew if she heard Josie say I love you back she wouldn’t be able to leave so, she presses her lips against hers. Only pulling away when she feels a burn in her lungs.

“Let’s get you back before your sister wakes up, she has twin sensors that she wakes up when you’re gone too long I swear.” Josie laughed softly at this, seeming to be okay with how everything went down. 

They held hands all the way back, opting to walk through the building this time. When they made it to the twins door, Penelope finally spoke up. “You should read the note in the morning, I want you to get some rest.” Josie just smiled at this before leaning in and pecking Penelope’s lips before opening the door quietly. “I’ll see you in the morning, goodnight Pen.”

Penelope’s heart broke at this and ran her thumb across Josie’s cheek before dropping her hand with a dejected look. “Goodbye, Josie.” The said girl tilted her head in curiosity as she watched Penelope walk back to her room, she watched her until she turned the corner. 

When Penelope got to her room she closed the door and pressed her back against it, sliding down the door. She let tears fall as she came closer to the floor. She’s almost glad her mother could afford a single room at the school so nobody was there to see the waterfall of tears pouring from her eyes. She pulled herself together, wiping her face before standing up and making her way to her phone. She took a deep breath before making her call hoping they would get here before day break.

“Hi, dad? I think... I think I’m ready to go now.”

The next morning the school was quiet except for two people arguing in the headmasters room.

“I’m going to find a way to stop the merge whether you help me or not.” 

“You’re still in school Penelope, realize how stupid this is.” He paused for a small moment seeing how the girl was seething with anger. “You can’t just go off on your own like that especially without your mother knowing, you could get hurt or killed even and we would be held responsible. You’re lucky I even heard you make that call last night.”

“Okay.” Penelope takes a shaky breath. “Then I’m dropping out.” She storms out the room surprised to see an angry Josie with tears flowing down her face, holding up the note and obviously hearing what was just said in the office. Penelope deciding to stick to her original plan and begun to walk away only stopping when a hand grabbed her arm. “Don’t walk away from me. You can’t stop this merge on your own” Josie’s voice was shaking from trying to stop the tears from flowing. Penelope stopped herself from rolling her eyes before turning to face the girl. “I have to, your parents aren’t doing shit.” 

Josie dropped Penelope’s arm and runs her hands through her hair in anger before slightly raising her voice at the girl. “What are you going to do, what plan could you even have?” 

“There’s a coven in Belgium-“ before the shorter girl could finish the sentence she was cut off by the shocked voice of Josie. “Belgium?! You’re going to go half way across the world for something that can be a dead end?!” Penelope flinched at Josie raising her voice. “They have information on the merge, they’ve dealt with and survived it before.” Josie scoffed at this. “And who told you that?”

“My father.”

“The same man who would do anything to get you out of this school and away from your mother? Pen come on, he’s lying to you again...” Josie’s voice trailing off once she realized how weighted this situation was, dropping her head down in sorrow. “I’m taking that chance. I can do this. I can find a cure and then you’ll be safe and I won’t lose you.” 

Josie let out a bitter chuckle before looking up at the shorter girl with tears flowing from her eyes again. “You’re so afraid of losing me that you’re blind to the fact I’m of losing you too!” The said girl kept her stone face even with tears in her eyes she managed to respond. “I’m not someone you should be afraid of losing, I’m not worth it.”

“You’re worth it to me!” Josie’s voice starts to crack from how much she’s been screaming and crying in the past hour. “You’re worth it to me, I thought-“ She let out a shaking breath in an attempt to quell her emotions “I thought I made that clear last night. You said you loved me but I didn’t get a chance to say it back.” Penelope quickly reached up cupping the other girls cheek, wiping away her tears with the pad of her thumb. “Don’t, my heart can’t take it.”

“I love you, Penelope Park.” The girl just looks at her with sadness pouring out of her eyes. “There goes that look again, Penelope please stay, stay with me.” Josie reaches up and grips Penelope’s hand, desperate for a response. To what, she’s not sure anymore.

Penelope looked between Josie and her father who just walked into the school. The inner battle evident in her eyes. Josie watched as the life drained from the eyes she loved so much, mumbling soft pleas for her to stay. 

“I’m sorry.”

**Author's Note:**

> I didn’t like how I originally ended this story so I tweaked the storyline a bit because I loved the concept of it. Now it’s back and better than ever.


End file.
